Auriemma to Speak on Fraud at Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) Mid-Year Conference

(New York, NY):  Auriemma Roundtables will have two speaking roles at the upcoming Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) Mid-Year Conference, scheduled for February 15-17 in Atlanta.

Ira Goldman, Director of Auriemma’s fraud management and chargeback Industry Roundtables, will be leading an interactive session focused on synthetic identity fraud on Thursday, February 16 at 1:00 p.m. In the session, retailers will collaborate in a working group to discuss best practices for combatting synthetic fraud, an esoteric type of identity theft that is quickly becoming a favored channel for fraudsters in a post-EMV environment. The session, which aims to determine best practices for the store environment, as well as co-brand and private label credit card programs, will also draw on analysis from Auriemma’s Retail Payments Fraud Roundtable, taking place February 7-8 in Atlanta.

“Fraudsters have been exploiting vulnerabilities in credit reporting through use of a combination of SSN, address, DOB, and name to create fake identities,” Goldman said. “It’s more important than ever that retailers be aware of how synthetic ID fraud works and how to establish appropriate controls.”

Marianne Berry, Managing Director of Auriemma’s Payment Insights practice, will lead a session focused on gift card fraud Wednesday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m. Identified as a hot topic by the MAG membership, retail participants will discuss the latest trends and scams hitting their programs and focus on preventing risk in both the in-store and virtual environments.  The discussion will be guided by the top priorities of participants, ranging from technology solutions to loss prevention activities.

“Gift cards are beloved by customers, but they’re also a favorite of fraudsters, particularly in this era of high-profile information hacks,” Berry said. “Collaboration and communication across the retail community are both key for identifying and combatting illegal gift card activity.”

In addition to these speaking roles, Auriemma will have a presence at Booth 16 in the Exhibit Hall.  Attending retailers can book a one-on-one meeting with Auriemma speakers to discuss how the consultancy’s research, Industry Roundtables and advisory work can help prevent fraud, acquire more customers, and operate more effectively.